Shown is a graphical artist rendering of the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) Platform, dubbed the F-47. (U.S. Air Force graphic)
DAYTON, Ohio — After years of delays, the Air Force now expects a next-generation engine will be ready to be put on an aircraft by the end of the decade — though a top service official would not commit to which plane the powerplant might fly with.
Over the next few years, and coinciding with a cresting budget for the Next Generation Adaptive Propulsion program, the Air Force expects to build and test dueling prototypes from competitors GE Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney. That work, according to John Sneden, the chief of the Air Force’s propulsion directorate, will culminate in “get[ting] ready for potential integration activities in the 2030 timeframe.”
Speaking with reporters here at the Life Cycle Industry Days conference, Sneden subsequently declined to directly comment on what platform might receive an NGAP engine.
“The Air Force is still evaluating its options,” Sneden said, emphasizing that the underlying engine technology may “open up” different choices down the road. “What we’re doing right now is we’re building our system today, and we’re getting ready for the future.”
